Introduction
Patron registration is a key dependency for the implementation of the State Library of Queensland’s new universal resource management system Alma, due to go live in November 2014. As Alma was designed for university libraries working with student administration systems, it did not offer an online registration option, mandatory for continued equitable access to State Library services. With 50-70 per cent of library members registering online each month, it was imperative that a new approach be designed to enable state-wide access to collections and services. The Identity Management Project was conceived to create an easy registration experience for members. In addition, we seized the opportunity to put clients first by streamlining the management of personal information held in 19 systems used to facilitate marketing, computing access, venue hire and more. Methods
The Identity Management Project aimed to create a consistent, convenient, and personalised online experience for clients to access collections and services, whether they want to borrow a book, search a database, use a computer or subscribe to a newsletter. The goal was to reduce the multiple identities an individual has within the SLQ environment by moving to one person = one identity model, to make it easy for clients to register, update, renew, opt in and out of services. This deceptively simple concept required functional and cultural shifts in how State Library manages client information across the whole organisation. The challenge was to make the client’s experience the focus rather than being confined by the workflows of multiple systems. As the project is breaking new ground, an action research approach was implemented, using experience pathways to design client-focussed workflows. Results
This paper will report on how we achieved the goals of:
simplifying access to State Library’s collections and services;
reducing labour intensive, and often duplicated, staff efforts;
implementing consistent identity management principles organisation-wide;
and improving reporting capabilities.
Ultimately State Library clients should be empowered through a simple registration process for instant online access with one username and password for all services plus the ability to manage their details and access. Conclusions
This project has challenged State Library to re-examine how and why we collect client information and to explore data sharing between existing stand-alone systems. The project demonstrates how libraries can offer clients a streamlined experience and increase ongoing engagement by implementing identity management principles across an organisation. Relevance
This paper reports on a cutting edge approach to implementing identity management within State Library of Queensland. It will present the results of an innovative solution to streamline and increase client online engagement by removing barriers to access and creating future opportunities for personalisation. |